Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions.
The Project Control Framework
On 1st April 2008 we launched the Project Control Framework. The Framework sets out how we, together with the Department for Transport, manage and deliver major improvement projects.
Free Traffic Information Seminars
Helping your business get its customers, drivers and goods where they should be, on time and stress-free.
Capability Assessment Toolkit 3
Introducing new and challenging indicators in the area of corporate social responsibility.
Efficiency Gains from Collaborative Roads Procurement
Delivering efficiency and best value is central
A Watching Brief
January 2008
A debrief held in Area 13 highlighted the importance of CCTV on the network and how much it can support them in managing incidents. In this case, it assisted both the Service Provider and Traffic Officer Service in monitoring snow/weather conditions on different parts of their network.
The Highways Agency uses approximately 1000 permanently installed cameras on its network to monitor traffic conditions and manage incidents. This article primarily highlights the different ways that CCTV is available to incident responders. The article is not going to delve into technological detail but will look at the main camera types and user interfaces.
Who uses the images and what for?
The Highways Agency’s CCTV system is used to monitor the real-time operation of the network. The images can be viewed by organisations such as the Traffic Officer Service, Service Providers and emergency services. This enables faster response to incidents and therefore minimises delays. One key point is that the images are not usually retained and the main purpose is real-time monitoring as opposed to data capture.
How are the images captured?
There is a range of technologies available to capture images and send them to an end user. As mobile data technology has greatly improved in recent years there are now 2 primary types of CCTV used on the Highways Agency network – fixed sites and mobile sites.
Firstly fixed cameras, these are what most people expect to see. Ordinarily they are a white box on top of a mast. These cameras can generally pan, tilt and zoom giving a large viewable area. In addition to the permanently sited cameras, major roadworks will have some form of local, temporary CCTV provision.
In addition to this approximately half of the Highways Agency’s 200 weather stations also have webcams installed on them. These provide still images at approximately 20 minute intervals. These cameras can not be moved and are primarily for viewing road conditions but the images may be useful for traffic management purposes.
Mobile cameras are a recent innovation following an improvement in communications technology. Generally speaking the images are conveyed using a 3G mobile phone link (the GPRS protocol is a back up albeit slower). This allows deployment anywhere with a good quality mobile phone signal. There are two ways that these mobile cameras have been mounted which gives different benefits.
Some mobile CCTV is deployed on a trailer mounted mast allowing the mobile system to be used in a similar manner to the permanent installations once deployed. Alternatively some cameras have been fitted to the roof of vehicles such as ISUs. This allows the camera to be on site as soon as the vehicle is although the field of view may be limited by the height of the vehicle.
How do I get to see the images?
Having the camera in view of an incident is only useful if the right people can see the images. Generally speaking all images are available at the Regional Control Centres however some of the stakeholder control rooms also have access to them.
The fixed site CCTV cameras are viewed using designated ‘workstation’ points which allow full control of the chosen camera. This ordinarily only allows viewing of CCTV within RCC region. This system can only be used by stakeholders such as the Service Providers who have the required technology installed at their control room / office. Currently the system is limited in the number of these workstation points it can support.
In addition there are ways of remote access to the permanent CCTV system. This web based system allows any authorised user access to all permanently installed CCTV cameras via a password controlled website called HANET. Access is only granted if there is an operational need.
HANET provides the user with up to 6 small images which updates every 2-3 seconds. HANET is not able to control the cameras however it does allow access to view the scene. The benefit of HANET is given the correct access a user can view the CCTV from any part of the Highways Agency network. This allows organisations who span the Highways Agency’s regional boundaries to view their entire area of interest. Equally it is useful during cross border incidents as it allows both sides to have the full picture.
The weather station images are available via the Vaisala password controlled IceWeb website. This is mainly used by the Service Providers to gather actual weather condition data from the weather stations. All RCCs have access to the website as do the Service Providers. Although the system is not designed for incident management it can provide an idea of traffic conditions on a route where other CCTV systems are not available.
The mobile CCTV interfaces are more complex to describe as there are several systems and local agreements for its use. The systems use technology that is new to the Highways Agency and it has not been fully integrated with the existing systems as yet but work is ongoing. The images are likely to be available at the RCC and / or the Service Provider’s office. Assuming the mobile technology proves to be beneficial mobile CCTV’s availability is likely to increase. This will allow the right people access to CCTV which is deployed in the right place at the right time. This should then assist in meeting the aims of the Highways Agency to reduce incident related traffic delays.
The future
The technology behind the CCTV system is continually improving but efforts are being made to ensure from the user’s perspective it remains a reliable and invaluable tool. There are various concepts and new technologies which could be employed if justified. Last month the TIM Bulletin contained an article on microdrones. These are a form of CCTV which currently is not in use on the HA network but we will keep you up to date with developments.
The Highways Agency is currently undergoing an exercise to make the permanent CCTV images more widely available. There are further details available via the Highways Agency’s website. This follows a trial system in the South West. It is anticipated that by early 2008, the public will be able to access images from the network through both the Highways Agency website and through travel information broadcasting websites.
In the future it may be possible to download CCTV images to your mobile phone or even watch moving images as streaming video. Technology moves on at an amazing pace so it is difficult to predict exactly how and what incident responders will be watching in five years time. The TIM Bulletin will keep you up to date with any major developments which may assist incident responders to fulfil their roles.
Has this article been worthwhile reading? Why not take a moment to send us your comments, thoughts or questions. Please e-mail TIMbulletin@highways.gsi.gov.uk.
